I was brought up in Christian Science and attended a Christian Science Sunday School. In my teen years, however, I fell away from its teachings and practice.
During my service in the armed forces, I turned to God for help in periods of stress or confusion, but when my life seemed to be going well, God was forgotten.
Shortly after my discharge from the Army, in seeking a return to the job I'd held before being inducted, I found that there were no openings because of layoffs which predated my seniority. So I registered with the state unemployment office and also began answering advertisements for positions. One of the requirements for obtaining state unemployment help in securing a job was to contact the office at specified intervals. If contact wasn't made within a designated period, the unemployment office assumed the applicant had found work.
After many job interviews—all without result—the picture was discouraging. Then it occurred to me that perhaps God could help me. I had a current Christian Science Quarterly, so I began to read the weekly Bible Lesson. In times past I had read sections of the lesson or passages from the Bible or Mrs. Eddy's writings when receiving help from a Christian Science practitioner, but I had never really studied the lesson. Now I did so out of desperation; I had the feeling that my only real source of help was God.
While studying the lesson I felt very humble and convinced that God was in total control. Also I remembered a quotation from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy that my mother had used and referred me to (p. 494): "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." About fifteen minutes after I started studying, the telephone rang. It was the state unemployment office telling me I had a job interview the next day. This was the first call I had received from the unemployment office since I had registered. It was also past the period when, according to the regulations, my name should have been kept on file.
The company I interviewed with the next day ended up hiring me. It was the best-paying job I had ever had until that time. But far more important than this was the joy that there was no doubt in my mind that God had met my need. This proof marked a change in my life. It was clear that nothing like chance or luck had been involved, but that this was God's answer to my prayer. I also realized that Christian Science held the key to solutions for other problems I was facing.
This knowledge and my increased study of Science led me over a period of a few years to become active in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and to rely completely on God through Christian Science for healing. Eventually, however, opposition in the family to Science led to a conflict which threatened my marriage. At that point I believed I could make peace by giving up membership in both my branch church and The Mother Church, so I took these steps. Later I joined a Protestant denomination.
Initially my home life was more peaceful. I gradually took up smoking and social drinking, and sought medical help for physical problems. Despite my best attempts, however, my marriage broke up. By then my life felt incomplete and was far from harmonious. Eventually I remarried. Still, I was unhappy. In this state I started to subscribe to the Christian Science Sentinel, and I began to study the weekly lessons again, although I was still a member of another church. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy quotes the familiar saying (p. 266) "'man's extremity is God's opportunity.'" That proved to be the case with me.
One morning while I was driving to my office I was involved in a very serious auto accident. I was taken, unconscious, to a local hospital near the scene of the accident. The medical report was not very encouraging—eight broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a severe head injury.
For approximately five days I was in intensive care and I had only a vague awareness of what was taking place. After I had learned what had happened, I requested help for myself from a Christian Science practitioner. At this point there was no further medical help or treatment, other than custodial care for me. I recognized that the only way for me to be truly healed was through a renewed commitment to my study and practice of Science. I was hospitalized a total of two weeks. As soon as I got home I began a study of the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy, all the while working with the practitioner.
Despite the predictions of many well-intentioned people, I was back at work in six weeks, with no physical problems. At this point my sincere desire was to regain membership in a branch church and in The Mother Church. My resignation was submitted to the Protestant church I had joined. However, there were problems which still needed to be overcome— dependence on tobacco and material medicine, as well as social drinking.
The drinking problem yielded fairly quickly through my own study and prayer. Help was sought from a practitioner for the smoking. Soon this, too, was healed, and I dropped reliance on material medicine. I am grateful that my meeting these challenges through Christian Science opened the way for me to apply for and ultimately be accepted again into membership in a branch church and in The Mother Church eight years ago. However, it wasn't until a few years ago that I recognized that giving up these material habits—some of which had seemed pleasant—were not sacrifices but gains, resulting in great spiritual blessings.
In addition to those previously mentioned, there have been other healings including the establishment of harmonious personal relationships and finding satisfactory employment. A most recent healing was that of what I believe was a hernia. At one point I noticed an abnormal protrusion and so made a call to a practitioner for help in overcoming the fear I felt. Within a week the symptoms had disappeared and everything was normal.
There have been many blessings that have come to my family and me through Christian Science. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for this wonderful religion—this "pearl of great price," for the privilege of church membership, for the opportunity to serve God, for the periodicals, and for Christian Science class instruction with a dedicated teacher.
Vineland, New Jersey
